Coffee & Tea Books - Page 11

Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine

Stephen Braun

Amazon Price: $41.03 List Price: $45.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Oxford University Press, USA Amazon Marketplace: 43 new & used starting at $2.39

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Alcohol and caffeine are deeply woven into the fabric of life for most of the world's population, as close and as comfortable as a cup of coffee or a can of beer. Yet for most people they remain as mysterious and unpredictable as the spirits they were once thought to be. Now, in Buzz, Stephen Braun takes us on a myth-shattering tour of these two popular substances, one that blends fascinating science with colorful lore, and that includes cameo appearances by Shakespeare and Balzac, Buddhist monks and Arabian goat herders, even Mikhail Gorbachev and David Letterman (who once quipped, "If it weren't for the coffee, I'd have no identifiable personality whatsoever").
Much of what Braun reveals directly contradicts conventional wisdom about alcohol and caffeine. Braun shows, for instance, that alcohol is not simply a depressant as popularly believed, but is instead "a pharmacy in a bottle"--mimicking the action of drugs such as cocaine, amphetamine, valium, and opium. At low doses, it increases electrical activity in the same brain systems affected by stimulants, influences the same circuits targeted by valium, and causes the release of morphine-like compounds known as endorphins--all at the same time. This explains why alcohol can produce a range of reactions, from boisterous euphoria to dark, brooding hopelessness. Braun also shatters the myth that alcohol kills brain cells, reveals why wood alcohol or methanol causes blindness, and explains the biological reason behind the one-drink-per-hour sobriety rule (that's how long it takes the liver, working full tilt, to disable the 200 quintillion ethanol molecules found in a typical drink). The author then turns to caffeine and shows it to be no less remarkable. We discover that more than 100 plant species produce caffeine molecules in their seeds, leaves, or bark, a truly amazing distribution throughout nature (nicotine, in comparison, is found only in tobacco; opium only in the poppy). It's not surprising then that caffeine is far and away the most widely used mind altering substance on the planet, found in tea, coffee, cocoa, chocolate, soft drinks, and more than 2,000 non-prescription drugs. (Tea is the most popular drink on earth, with coffee a close second.) Braun also explores the role of caffeine in creativity: Johann Sebastian Bach, for one, loved coffee so much he wrote a Coffee Cantata (as Braun notes, no music captures the caffeinated experience better than one of Bachs frenetic fugues), Balzac would work for 12 hours non-stop, drinking coffee all the while, and Kant, Rousseau, and Voltaire all loved coffee. And throughout the book, Braun takes us on many engaging factual sidetrips--we learn, for instance, that Theodore Roosevelt coined the phrase "Good to the last drop" used by Maxwell House ever since; that distances between Tibetan villages are sometimes reckoned by the number of cups of tea needed to sustain a person (three cups being roughly 8 kilometers); and that John Pemberton's original recipe for Coca-Cola included not only kola extract, but also cocaine.
Whether you are a sophisticated consumer of cabernet sauvignon and Kenya AA or just someone who needs a cup of joe in the morning and a cold one after work, you will find Buzz to be an eye-opening, informative, and often amusing look at two substances at once utterly familiar and deeply mysterious.

Taking Tea with Clarice Cliff: A Celebration of Her Art Deco Teaware

Leonard Griffin

List Price: $13.00 By: Anova Books Amazon Marketplace: 9 new & used starting at $12.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Receiving kudos for Clarice 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

As a collector of Clarice Cliff, I read almost anything relating to her. Clarice was way ahead of her time. She was an uneducated British girl in the 1920's who through hard work and brilliant ideas became a pioneer in art deco ceramics. Leonard Griffin is a master scholar of Clarice and this book was another one of his carefully reviewed study of her work.
Identifying her teaware as a celebration is absolutely true. Almost 80 years later, her work is more collectible than ever and it is fascinating to read how she evolved her designs and manufacturing ideas into the most beautiful teaware.

Editorial Review:

The designs of Clarice Cliff are among the most striking and collectable ceramics produced in the 20th century. Angular and uncompromising, embellished in strident primary colors, they were a sensation when they appeared in the 1920s, capturing the spirit of the Art Deco movement. Her teaware is as sought after today as it was then, her most collected designs, such as her Bizarre ware, commanding high prices. This beautifully photographed book evokes the mood of the Art Deco era as it conveys the enormous charm and range of Cliff's work in china tea services. It offers a complete record of her teaware designs as well as a fascinating look at her life and work.

Tea for All Seasons

Shelly Richardson, Bruce Richardson

Amazon Price: $19.95 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Partners Publishers Group Amazon Marketplace: 9 new & used starting at $10.93

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Wonderful Guide & Celebration of Tea at the Elmwood Inn! 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Whether you're a tea connoisseur or just beginning to explore the wonderful world of tea, "A Tea For All Season's" is an excellent companion to have. Written by Bruce & Shelly Richardson, owners of the Elmwood Inn in Perryville, KY, they provide an informative, enjoyable guide to preparing and hosting a perfect tea, as they do at Kentucky's premeir tea room. Breaking the book down into seasonal & monthly themes, they provide recommendations of food, tea and music to accompany your celebration. The tea themes include angels, roses, sunflowers, Shakespeare, Monet, the Ballet, Kentucky Harvest, etc. The meal recipes are also included and some of them are largely synonymous with Kentucky's culture. They give an overview of each theme and share the historical significance of all involved. The Elmwood Inn, itself, has a rich history and is listed on the National Register for Historical Places and is designated as a Kentucky Landmark. It's probably better known for the role it played during the Civil War battle, that befell Perryville on October 8, 1862. The book is also filled with wonderful colored photograph's, including some lovely peices of artwork, which can be found hanging on the walls of the Inn throughout the year (featuring notably local artists). The art, too, is coordinated with the theme of each month's menu. The Richardson's create a warm rapport as they entice and educate the reader; Much like their genteel hospitality when greeting in person. At the end of the book you'll find a list of tea suppliers and featured artists, including Elmwood Inn. "A Tea For All Season's" would make a great gift for any tea lover, and is a must to add to your tea repertoire. At the least, this book will leave you with the desire for a delicious pot of steaming hot tea. Most likely, it will inspire you to plan a tea party of your own. The Richardson's have also written two other books, "A Year of Teas at the Elmwood Inn," and "The Great Tea Rooms of Britain." I am fortunate to call Perryville home and frequent Elmwood Inn often for my 'cup of serenity.' I also have the fortune of calling Bruce & Shelly Richardson, friends. The almost 160-year-old Inn is beautiful with elegance and charm, as are the grounds. May I reccommend, if you're ever in Central Kentucky, plan on visiting and having afternoon tea at the Elmwood Inn. You must make reservations, though. It will be one of the most pleasant experiences of your life!

Editorial Review:

Afternoon tea at Kentucky's historic Elmwood Inn is a glorious celebration of outstanding foods, great teas, captivating art and classic music in the serene setting of one the state's best-known landmarks. Shelley and Bruce Richardson share twelve of their favorite theme teas. Each is complete with recipes, suggested teas, commissioned art, music and color photography. From "An Angelic Christmas Tea" to "A Tea with Claude Monet", tea lovers will be sure to find the perfect menu and recipes for each season of the year. This book is now in its fourth edition and it is volume two in the Elmwood recipe series.

Espresso Quick Reference Guide

Phillip Janssen

List Price: $17.95 By: Eightball Books Amazon Marketplace: 16 new & used starting at $4.94

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Authoritative book, especially for those in coffee business 5 out of 5 stars.
19 of 20 people found this review helpful.

I'm not sure why the first reviewer was so disgruntled with this book. I am a long time coffee lover and brewer. I have served many kinds of coffee/espresso drinks to many people and recieved rave reviews. This book is highly entertaining. The Author teaches you about the "coffee culture" of Seattle and fills page after page with tidbits of trivia that coffee fans will find thoroughly entertaining. I am an avid reader, but also very selective and had no trouble reading this book straight through. For those of you who've stood at the coffee bar and asked,"What's the difference between a cappuccino and a macchiato?" this book will clear the air. He diagrams and plainly explains the exact makeup of each titled coffee drink. He even covers techniques for "decorating" the coffee before you serve it. There is a chapter of 123 pages of nothing but espresso drink recipes (incorporating liquers and flavored syrups) and Italian sodas. Each are listed alphabetically by their name (and some very creative ones, I might add). Also, each page contains between 7 and 8 recipes. If you love to try new things, this will give you tons of ideas. The next part of the book is filled with more creative ideas, brewing tips, trivia of coffee and how it's taken throughout the world and information on brewing with a variety of different private and commercial machines. Altogether, this is an excellent book. I believe it deserves more than 5 stars, but that's all they gave me.

Design for Tea: Tea Wares from the Dragon Court to Afternoon Tea

Jane Pettigrew

Amazon Price: $17.95 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: The History Press Amazon Marketplace: 21 new & used starting at $4.35

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Beautiful! 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

A fascinating and well written look at the ceramics and accessories used to serve tea, from China in the middle ages to the 20th century. Wonderful illustrations--lots of photos as well as some drawings. I will definitely check out her other books, which is the ultimate compliment!

Editorial Review:

Why did polite society lift its little finger along when raising the tea-cup to the mouth? What is a mote spoon? What is the origin of the word "caddy"? This book takes readers through the various groups of tea equipage used over the past 350 years. The story behind the development of the various pieces of tea brewing and drinking equipment all have a tale to tell - sometimes an extraordinary one. Learn why Cruickshank's poor Frenchman was compelled to drink 14 cups of tea because he didn't understand the custom of standing the spoon in the cup to indicate that one had had enough. The book contains lively and pithy contemporary quotes from literature, diaries, trade catalogues and historical documents together with a selection of illustrations.

The Little Book of Healthy Teas

Erika Dillman

List Price: $9.95 By: Grand Central Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 16 new & used starting at $0.27

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

if you like tea, this book is for you 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Great info on health benefits, how to make really good tea, stress and other relief tips, and more. I love these LITTLE BOOKS, and they are great gifts - there's a YOGA one my wife loves, and I think there are others. I'm a big tea drinker, so this TEA book is my favorite.

Editorial Review:

Not your grandmother's boring brew, now tea's got a brand new bag! It helps lift your spirits, boost your energy, and relieve your cold and flu symptoms. With no fat, calories and half the caffeine of coffee, tea is the perfect healthy drink that relaxes, revives and heals. Research has shown that tea provides essential vitamins and minerals and contains high levels of antioxidants known to help fight cancer and heart disease. The LITTLE BOOK OF HEALTHY TEAS guides readers through the healing properties of this versatile tonic. Whether the preference is for black, green, red organic, or decaffeinated tea, readers will enjoy its nourishing effects. Learn about: * The health benefits of drinking tea * The medical uses of tea for stress, PMS, headaches, fatigue, indigestion, sleeplessness, and other ailments * How to store, brew and serve tea * And much more

Nice Cup of Tea and a Sit Down

Nicey & Wifey

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

brilliant 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

This book contains everything you need to know about tea and biscuits when visiting Britain. Never again have the Brits looking down at you in disgust when you don't know the proper protocol for afternoon tea.

Buy it. Read it on the plane on the way over. Never look out of place again at those important business meetings.

Perfect Read...again...and again...and again... 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

It has quickly become one of my favorite books. I happen to be a tea fanatic, so obviously a book about tea and biscuits would suit me just fine. However, I am also quite particular about the books I adore, and this one fits the bill. Well written by an obviously intelligent human being, but also extremely witty and informative. I have purchased a copy for my adult brit-loving/tea-loving daughter. She wanted to borrow my copy, but there is no way I am letting it go! Buy it...devour it...come back for more. You won't be sorry.

Editorial Review:

Put a cup of tea in your hand, and what else can you do but sit down? This new book celebrates that most British of life’s cornerstones: the tea break. There is, however, another element to this ritual that is a must: biscuits. Finding the right biscuit for the right occasion is as much an art as it is a science, and it is a task that Nicey has selflessly worked on for most of his tea-drinking life. From dunking to the Digestive, the Iced Gem to the Garibaldi, everything you’ll ever need to know about British biscuits is in this book, and quite a lot more besides. So go on. Put the kettle on, take a weight off, and enjoy.

Green Tea: 50 Hot Drinks, Cool Quenchers, and Sweet and Savory Treats

Mary Lou Heiss

Amazon Price: $11.01 List Price: $12.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Harvard Common Press Amazon Marketplace: 54 new & used starting at $1.06

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great Tasting Beverages 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I love this book. The fabulous photography made me want to make every recipe right away. The Va-Va Voom Mint Green Tea was as delicious as the photo. We served it at two events and it received compliments from dozens of guests. This book is a must have for Spring and Summer entertaining. - Susan Yachiye McKeen, Editor-in-Chief, Tea Experience Digest - the Premier Magazine for Tea Enthusiasts.

Unique and Creative - Good resource book 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The book is just wonderful. Has so many unique ideas on how to use green tea . Loved all the summer recipes with ginger and pineapple. Recipes are well thought out and very doable.
Great Photos

Editorial Review:

This gorgeous, four-color gift book showcases just why green tea is so popular in American culture today. The opening chapter covers the basic health benefits of drinking green tea, its history, and how to select, store, and brew it. With beautiful color photos throughout, and 50 delicious recipes for hot and cold teas, smoothies and cocktails, and even savory and sweet foods, this is the perfect gift for anyone who enjoys green tea.

Taking Tea with Alice: Looking-Glass Tea Parties and Fanciful Victorian Teas

Dawn Hylton Gottlieb, Diane Sedo

List Price: $16.95 By: Warner Books Amazon Marketplace: 15 new & used starting at $5.80

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

isn't it just precious! 2 out of 5 stars.
53 of 67 people found this review helpful.

According to the inside back flap, one of the authors works for an advertising agency. That makes sense, because this book looks and reads like an ad. It keeps telling you how sweet and darling everything is, until you (or I, anyway) want to be sick. Lots of annoying photos of children. Not enough photos to show you which foods go with which recipes; you have to guess from the larger photos which still don't indicate which of the microscopic things on the table are the foods in which recipes. The quality of the recipes is inconsistent; they seem to use different words for the same ingredients from one recipe to the next, and some ingredients and procedures are given "Victorian" names and never explained. Other recipes consist of "ask your local baker to make this for you, or look in some other cookbook." Not satisfactory. This is definitely a guide for *children's* parties, with suggestions for menus and activities for children. I suppose you could translate the ideas to parties for adults, if you can get past the breathless sentimentality of the prose, which is all about making things oh-so-special for the little ones. Why do I sound so annoyed by all this? I don't have anything against children or their parties. What bothers me is the emptiness of the prose and the cutesiness of the design, combined with the lack of really useful photos, captioning, recipe treatments, and historical background that would have given this book some substance.

Editorial Review:

This gift book combines excerpts from Lewis Carroll's "Alice" stories, Victorian poems, teatime food, and games. Included are recipes for such goodies as lemon-raspberry looking-glass cake, and inventive games like "Pin in the Cheshire Grin" and "Flamingo Croquet".

A Cafecito Story: El Cuento Del Cafecito

Julia Alvarez, Bill Eichner, Belkis Ramirez

Amazon Price: $8.50 List Price: $10.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Chelsea Green Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $1.99

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Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A Cafecito Story is a story of love, coffee, birds and hope. It is a beautifully written eco-fable by best-selling author Julia Alvarez. Based on her and her husband's experiences trying to reclaim a small coffee farm in her native Dominican Republic, A Cafecito Story shows how the return to the traditional methods of shade-grown coffee can rehabilitate and rejuvenate the landscape and human culture, while at the same time preserving vital winter habitat for threatened songbirds.
Not a political or environmental polemic, A Cafecito Story is instead a poetic, modern fable about human beings at their best. The challenge of producing coffee is a remarkable test of our ability to live more sustainably, caring for the land, growers, and consumers in an enlightened and just way. Written with Julia Alvarez's deft touch, this is a story that stimulates while it comforts, waking the mind and warming the soul like the first cup of morning coffee. Indeed, this story is best read with a strong cup of organic, shade-grown, fresh-brewed coffee.